Railroad-track structure



March 25, 1930. v w. DALTON RAILROAD TRACK STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 19, 1928 Patented Mar. 25, 1930 wnmmm DALTON, or GLE'NVILLE, NEW YORK RAILROAD-TRACK STRUCTURE The present invention relates to railroad track structures and especially to railroad track structures wherein the ties are formed of metal.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement in a railway track structure of this type, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed m to the following specification and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a track structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a erspective view showing the invention as uti ized at points where splice bars occur; Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofa tie showing the type of insulating pad used at points where tie bars occur; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the type of insulating pad used where splice bars do not occur, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a rail and fastener as shown in Fig. v1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a metal tie which in the present instance is shown as comprising two len ths of bars fastened together at their ends y end plates 2 and at the points where the railscome by rail-supporting plates 3. The tie structure illustrated is of the eneral type of that disclosed in my Patent umber 1,657,241, dated January 24,1928. Supporting plates 3 are tapered after the manner of standard tie plates so as to tip the rails inwardly at a slight angle and each is provided with two r sets of dia onally-arranged openings 4 and 5, the openings 4 being spaced for use when the rail-fasteners are to engage the rail flange directly and the o eni'ngs 5 being spaced for use when the railasteners are to engage a tie 40 bar. Preferably I utilize a rail-fastening means such as that disclosed in my Patent Number 1,657 ,242, dated January 24, 1928,

the same comprising a U-sha ed rail-clamping member 6 which is locate in an opening 4 or 5 with its ends extending beneath the Applieation filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 307,025.

supporting plate and over the rail flange, and

. a spring key 7 which fits in the opening behind the rail-clamping-member 6 and serves to hold itin position.

I provide between the supporting plate and the rail flange an insulating pad '8 formed from a yieldable material such as relatively soft rubber and beneath the U- shaped clamp I provide an insulating piece 9 formed of a suitable hard material such as hard rubber, fiber or the like, the insulating piece 9 and the clamp 6 being of such size that they serve to clamp the rail down tightly against the pad. Insulating piece 9 is provided with side flanges 10 which form a recess for the fastener whereby movement of the piece and fastener relatively to each other is prevented. V

By the use of a yieldable pad beneath the rail in combination with a clamp which clamps the rail down tightly on the pad, I obtain important new results in that the rail is held down firmly while at the sametime the pad has resiliency suflicient to permit of the wave action which takes place in a rail 0 when a heavy load passes over it.. Ordina- I rily such Wave action is taken care of by leaving a clearance between the top of the rail flange and the fastener which means that the rail is not fastened down tight, a thing which 7 ma in time result in unusual wear and other di culties. The rail, so to speak, is yieldably fastened to the tie, the yielding action being sufficient to permit of the desired rail movement, but at thesame time the rail being held tight enough to prevent or at least greatly minimize wear. Also, the use of a yieldable pad has the further advanta e that it serves to absorb vibration and eaden noises, preventing to a considerable extent 5 noises being transmitted to the coaches.

By clamping the rail down tight to the tie the further advantage is obtained that the use of anti-rail creeping means ma be dis pensed with, the clamping-down o the rail in itself serving to prevent creeping of the rail.

I have found a pad made from rubber having a softness of the order of that used in the treads of automobile tires to be satisfactory and in using the term soft rubber I use it not as a definition of the degree of softness but to distinguish from hard, vulcanized rubber.

By providing the supporting plates 3 with two sets of openings 4 and'5, they are adapted to have fastened to them either the rail flange directly or the rail flange with a tie bar bolted thereto. For fastening the rail flange directly to the tie the inner openin s 4 are utilized as is illustrated in Fig. 1. or fastenin the rail flange with a tie bar as shown at 12 in Fig. 2, bolted thereto, the outer openings 5 are utilized. B this arrangement, a standard supporting-p ate can be used for all ties. It is desirable also, that the same fasteners 6 be used on both the inside and the outside of the rail flanges and to make this possible, I provide on the under surface of plate 3 a groove 13 which is located in the a thicker portion of the plate the same thickfastener 6 is 0 ness as the plate adjacent to the holes in the thinner portion of the plate. As is clear from Fig. 5, the lower end of the U-shaped fastener 6 is located in the groove 13 and this is the case whether the fastener is in an-opening 4 or an opening 5. As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, a slightly wider pad 8 (Fig. 3) is used when the fasteners are to be located in openings 5 than is used when the fasteners are to be located in openings 4, (Fig. 4). Otherwise the ads 8 are the same. Also, the

i slightly different dimensions when it is to engage a tie bar 12 than it is when it is to engage the rail flange directly. This means that in the utilization of my invention, the tie is in all cases a standard construction and also the other parts except that where tie plates 12 occur a special pad and fastener is employed.

By locating openings 4 and openings 5 diagonally, I obtain a symmetrical fastening of the tie to the rail in each instance so that in case the tie is lifted the strains are distributed to both sides of the tie.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a railway track structure, the combination of a metal tie having a supporting plate which tapers in thickness, said plate eing provided with openings at opposite edges to receive rail-fastening members, and a groove in the underside of the plate adjacent the opening at the thicker edge of the plate of a depth such that the same kind of fasteners may be used in each opening.

2. In a railway track structure, the combination of a metal tie having a supporting plate provided with two sets of openings, the openings of each set being diagonally ar ranged and the openings of one set being spaced apart farther than the openings of the other setv for the purpose described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15 day of September, 1928.

WILLIAM DALTON. 

